


Charlie Chaplin, much more than a clown.

by Claire_cz



Series: Quarantink 2020 [45]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Charlie Chaplin - Freeform, Europeans 2013, Europeans 2018, Films, Gen, Internal Monologue, Limelight, Memories, Modern times, Not Beta Read, Quarantink, choreography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23949184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire_cz/pseuds/Claire_cz
Summary: Before Olympics, Javi watches his Charlie Chaplin short program from Europeans 2018 and reminscents about the creation of this program and also about his Charlie Chaplin free program from 2012/2013 season.[My ode to these two programs].
Series: Quarantink 2020 [45]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666834
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Charlie Chaplin, much more than a clown.

**Author's Note:**

> Part 47 of quarantine challenge - prompt: clown. 
> 
> Given this prompt, there's only one topic I wanted to write about. 
> 
> Man of la Mancha is so popular and gets so much attention from Javi's fans and the skating world that I sometimes feel that his Olympic SP (Modern Times) is (undeservedly) a bit forgotten.  
> And because emilia_kaisa cheered on me so much, I decided to also include Javi's Charlie Chaplin FP (from the 2012/2013 season) <3.

You've just finished watching your free program from Europeans. It will need some improvement, more run-troughs, a bit more stamina but it's not bad. Spontaneously you decide to also watch your short program. Modern Times. It's been kind to you so far. You are hoping it will last one more time. Everything about it feels so easy. Even the creation was ... well ... easy.

* * *

"So Javi, have you been thinking about programs for new season?" David asked you.

"Worlds have just finished. I want vacaaaation, Daaavid," you pretended whining.

"It's the Olympic season, Javi, please, think," David nudged you.

"Something Spanish for the free program."

"Wonderful, we can work with that, Brian will be also happy. Now to the short."

"I have no idea. I mean I won't do Malaguena for the third time, so something new..."

"I've been thinking... and what about Charlie Chaplin?" David suggested carefully.

"You want to take my old free and redo it for the short?"

"Not at all, I want to make a _completely new short_ Charlie Chaplin program to highlight the difference, to show how versatile you are, how much has your skating changed, basically how awesome and spectators-friendly skater you are," David gesticulated wildly and finally finished his ode.

You smiled.  
"Ok, I believe you. We can try," you stated simply.

David nodded. He had always enjoyed doing choreographies for you.

* * *

Instead of hitting the play button you catch yourself lost in thoughts - thinking about your first Chaplin program in the 2012/2013 season, your second one at TCC.

When Brian and David asked you at the beginning of the first season there what you wanted to skate to, you had just timidly suggested _maybe some opera_ , because you had never done that. (And indeed, they gave you a Verdi medley: La Traviata, Nabucco, Rigoletto). So, when they asked you a year later, you much more confidently suggested Charlie Chaplin. It had been your dream to skate to it, you had already suggested it to Morozov, but he dismissed this idea and made you continue with Pirates of the Caribbean for the second season... Though, you were still surprised when Brian and David instantly liked the idea.

"This will be so cute, I can see it, I can see it, oh Javi," David squealed.

You worked hard on stabilizing the third quad in the program, on improving your skating skills, on expression. And the results did come!

* * *

Instead of watching your current performance, you type "Javier Fernandez Europeans 2013 FP" and then hit the play button finally.

There's such a young boy on the screen, no traces of stubble on his face. Just big eyes and a cute smile. Baggy pants, white shirt, a vest with golden back as if foreshadowing the great success this season, tie, handkerchief in a pocket. Perfect gentleman.

The performance starts with a quad toe, a small hand gesture and immediately into a quad sal, triple toe combination. You stumble a bit on the landing, but Chaplin would be proud. Triple axel, change foot sit spin. And now step sequence. People are beginning to clap into rhythm. Hands into the pockets, shuffling around, portraying Charlie’s insecurity, one foot skating, marching around and launching into the choreo with even more energy until the music changes and you start playing more of a romantic role slowly building enough speed for another portion of jumps.  
Quad sal. This third quad in a program causes many commentators around the world to gasp. You are one of the pioneers. And you’ve nailed it. But there’s no time to celebrate. Triple lutz, double toe, spread eagle into triple loop. And abrupt stop! A little comedy run accompanied by chaplinesque grimaces. And once again, return of a timid and shy Charlie. Double flip – half loop – triple salchow, flying change foot combination spin. And again, accompanied by clapping of all spectators, launching into the choreo sequence, quite literally wearing your heart on your sleeve. Down on your knee, blowing a kiss, turns, turns, triple sal and the final change foot combination spin. Gifting an imaginary flower with a smile on your face.

You smile watching the old program. And that the was the purpose. Cute, romantic, a bit of nostalgia. Everyone knows or has at least heard about this Charlie – shy, cute, romantic, in love, sometimes in trouble. Some would add “slapstick comedy” or “slipping on a banana peel” and everything is true.

Though, David as a thorough choreographer made you watch the whole film, so you know now that Limelight is a surprisingly quite sad story, set at the beginning of WWI, about Calvero, who once was a famous stage clown, but is a drunk now. However, he saves a young dancer and helps her to resume her dancing career and he himself regains his own self-confidence. Tries to make a comeback on the stage. And of course, falls in love with the girl. Only his second come-back is successful, but Calvero dies during the performance on stage…

* * *

Though agreeing on the Charlie program for the Olympics season was easy, subsequently some doubts have come.

“I don’t know,” you sighed. “Will it be different enough? I can see all the people saying. _Fernandez again doing comedy. He even uses Chaplin again. He didn’t change anything and blablabla_.”

“We won’t let them,” David assures you and puts a hand on your shoulder.  
“Of course, they will compare it, but it will play into our favour. They want to compare it, they can. This will be much more dramatic, no more cuteness, my Disney Prince. You have much better skating skills now. Music will be different. And … I will make you work hard with Paige on new spins!”

Finally convinced about the program, you watched the film Modern Times about how to survive in modern, industrialized world. Charlie works as a worker in a factory there and regularly throws the factory in chaos, more chaos and eventually ends up in jail. And a series of running away and fleeing the police, with a girl, Ellen, follows. The film ends up on a quite happy note though with Charlie and Ellen walking down the road towards an uncertain, but hopeful future.

* * *

And you finally type “Javier Fernandez. Europeans 2018 SP” and hit start. And you smile again. Despite some initial doubts you might have had, in the end the most difficult was picking a costume. The baggy pants and a t-shirt from an ordinary store in Japan had to go, then you discarded the cardigan and settled on this black velvety piece with decent embroidery.

David wasn’t joking, even the initial pose is different, dramatic. Bent down, with your arms loosely hanging above the ice. With the first decisive tones of the music you wake up, surprised, you hide your face in your hands. Quad toe – triple toe. Footwork and into quad sal. You do a perfect cat save; Effie would be proud. Flying upright spin, hitting all the nuances of the music.  
And now, finally, spectators recognize Charlie with hundred per cent certainty. Balancing, pretending losing the balance, marching around, again matched perfectly with the music, running across the rink. Triple Axel. Change foot sit spin while holding your imaginary hat. Skating to the spectators on one side with open arms and through intricate footwork and turns, chaplinesque steps in the middle on the ice and snapping your fingers you reach the other side of the ice rink and blow a kiss to the public. They sigh, clap and coo though you are long gone doing the final spin. Change foot combination spin and then tucking your imaginary hat under your arm in the final pose.

Yeah, it’s a good program. So when you are interviewed later, you say without any hesitation “ _I do like Charlie Chaplin, I think he’s awesome_ ,” and add with a smile “ _I don’t know if we match – but I think we do_ “.

* * *

You don’t know it yet, but of course, you'll nail your Olympics short. Charlie, once again, proving to be a perfect vehicle for you to make the public smile, to connect with people immediately, to let them admire your personable skating one last time on the biggest stage.

Proving that you and Charlie, though sometimes labelled as clowns, are much more than that.

**Author's Note:**

> Javi skated his SP to music from Modern Times (obviously) and according to available info his 2012/2013 FP was to music from Limelight.
> 
> Europeans 2013 FP (securing Javi his first European title): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyFLDc1BISM  
> Europeans 2018 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSifQXB9D4k  
> (even better) Olymics 2018 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl-J44YnRtw
> 
> Generally, some of the details about creating the choreography correspond to rl (how they wanted to make the same character but differently, about new spin positions, about Morozov declining Javi's idea and Brian and David agreeing on the Charlie FP etc. etc.). There are many interview, videos..., I'll list just two of them: 
> 
> \- Javi talking about Charlie as a character:  
> https://www.insideskating.net/2018/02/13/interviews/a-journey-into-the-mind-of-javier-fernandez-skating-is-a-lot-about-feelings-and-in-competition-if-you-feel-good-or-feel-bad-it-matters-a-lot (and a brilliant interview overall)
> 
> \- Javi talking about his SP at ACI 2017:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALsjCnc8-sQ
> 
> Info about Charlie Chaplin films:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Times_(film)  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limelight_(1952_film)


End file.
